“It’s definitely a blessing”: Stephon Castle reacts to getting a chance to play under Gregg Popovich after CBB career under Dan Hurley
Stephon Castle seemingly goes from best to best, especially with head coaches. Imagine playing under the hottest college coach at the moment and moving on to play for one of the best in history.
That is exactly what happened to Stephon Castle, who on Wednesday was selected with the No. 4 overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs where he will play under Gregg Popovich, after playing for Dan Hurley at Storrs for the UConn Huskies.
Castle himself admitted during the post-draft press conference to feeling lucky about the coaches he has and will play for:
"I was just playing for the best coach in college basketball... playing for a legendary coach like Coach Pop, it's definitely a blessing."
He was a consensus five-star recruit for UConn, where he spent one season with the Huskies. Besides winning the NCAA basketball national title, he was also named Big East Freshman of the Year and named to the Big East All-Freshman team. Now it's up to Gregg Popovich to see how he fits with the Spurs roster.
Stephon Castle on joining the San Antonio Spurs and Dan Huerly's reaction to the pick
In the aftermath of the pick, Stephon Castle spoke about Coach Popovich, the mindset of the San Antonio Spurs and new teammate Victor Wembanyama.
Castle said:
"They're obviously getting a winner, I'm coming with that kind of mindset.
"Having a teammate like [Wembanyama], that opens up the floor so much. I can't wait to get out there."
His former coach, Dan Hurley, also weighed in on the matter, telling the press what kind of player San Antonio was getting:
"This guy when you look at fit, the Spurs, they value winning, they value workers. He is a perfect player for them to draft.
"This guy's just scratching the surface."
Castle brings significant defensive ability while retaining the ability to be a two-way player. He can even play point guard, but his outside shooting is something that leaves much to be desired.